


One Life for a Thousand

by Osiris_Brackhaus (Rynthjan)



Category: Original Work
Genre: contemplation of political murder, cybernetic monster emperor, p2, phoenix empire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 14:11:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rynthjan/pseuds/Osiris_Brackhaus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last Habichtswald has been captured, and the press and nobility has gathered to see him executed. Only the Emperor seems shy of this last bit of violence...</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Life for a Thousand

“This is barbarous!” Hyperion rumbled, struggling to keep his voice low despite his outrage. “I am NOT going to murder that child!”

But his outburst was only met with unmoving faces by his closest advisers. His son, Gregory, just stood there with his arms crossed in front of his chest, his unreadable purple eyes all but drilling holes into Hyperion. Next to him, Lady Lilith had her slender white hands folded to a sharp triangle, pointing down, her whole stance showing that she considered the matter without alternative. 

“What?!” he snarled, “I waged this godforsaken war to put an end to the killing!”

Agitated as he was, one of Hyperion’s rear legs caught in the heavy curtain that separated the narrow space they were standing in from the actual throne room. The motion sent nervous waves rippling through the fabric, announcing his presence to the gathered crowd like a bobbing swimmer announced a fish nibbling at the hook. Instantly, a hush fell over the assembled people, their murmur only resuming slowly and in much subdued fashion. 

Carefully, Hyperion untangled his leg and set down all the others firmly. Having six cybernetic legs was a great advantage in close combat. But when trying to hide behind a curtain in the imperial throne room - not so much. 

“Talk to me,” Hyperion urged his companions. “Tell me why I should be murdering that boy in cold blood.”

“He is not a boy,” Greg corrected him cautiously. “He is a Habichtswald. The last of his kind.”

“He is even younger than you!” Hyperion hissed back, almost forgetting to keep his voice low. “And we all know that he is not the last of his ilk.” Turning his head to Lilith, he asked caustically: “How many are we missing?”

“A few hundred at least, maybe a thousand.” Her voice was perfectly tempered, but the hummingbird motion of her eyes clearly showed that she was well aware of the importance of the moment. “But if we wait until we really have the last one, this war will drag on for generations.”

“So you keep telling me.” Taking a deep breath, Hyperion argued: “I do not think this will change anything. It will only spill more blood in my name, create one more martyr, one more legend malcontends can rally to.” 

“This war will not be over until the last Habichtswald is dead.” Gregory stated firmly. “The will fight to the last man standing, and not surrender until their last drop of blood is spilled. Killing the last one before all of them are dead might be a lie, but it might just be a lie that will allow the rest of them to sneak away in silence, disappear, and be done with it.”

“Once these facts move into history, the necessary contrivances of today will become obvious truth,” Lilith added. “I think it is well worth it.” 

“One life for a thousand,” Hyperion mumbled under his breath. “Can you guarantee me it will work? Will this be the end of the killing?” 

“You know I cannot give you guarantees, Father.” Gregory sounded vaguely pained. “The probabilities are as good as they can get.”

“I think it will.” Lilith confirmed. “The Empire is tired of fighting, and people will want to believe it is finally over.”

For a long moment, Hyperion looked at the two, his face twitching with conflicting emotions. 

“I will guarantee it.” 

All three of them turned around, staring at the newcomer who had silently appeared in the doorframe leading into the corridor further into the palace. Dressed in tight blue jeans and a fluffy white turtle-neck, Amadeus looked like going for a stroll, or maybe a round of Crockett on a slightly chilly afternoon. He definitely did not look like someone attending the execution of his cousin. 

“I cannot see the future, nor do I have a spy in every house,” Amadeus said. “ But I know a thing or two about people, and I do know my family. I will guarantee you that they will stop fighting, once the last of them is dead. And I will guarantee you that the war is over if you go out there today and kill that boy, as grisly and violently as you can. If there is his blood and entrails splattered over everyone in the throne room, then you will have peace.”

“How can you say such a thing,” Gregory all but whispered, once again taken completely aback by his husband’s words. “How can you be so sure?”

“I have to believe this is right, because if I doubted this, how could I justify what I have done so far?” With a grim sigh, Amadeus left his place in the doorframe and walked over to Hyperion. “Greg and I will come with you and stand outside, on the dais, when you do it.”

Silently, Gregory nodded, while Hyperion seemed genuinely stunned for a moment. 

“Thank you,” he finally said.

“Don’t thank me,” Amadeus retorted coldly. “I expect you to put a show on out there like never before. I want you to rage and to bellow, to howl and shake guts at the camera. I don’t know, maybe roll in his blood, fuck his skull, eat his heart. But whatever you do, never forget that if there is one person left in this room without nightmares tonight, the war is not over. Pretend to be a monster, so you can stop being one.”

With a deep shudder that ran through his waddles of fat, Hyperion stared at his son-in-law. “You ask a lot of me.”

“One life for a thousand,” Amadeus quipped, pleading. “We have all done worse.”

“I know.” Taking another, shuddering breath, Hyperion gained his composure. “One life plus a little bit of show for a thousand, you say? I think I can do that. I know a boy who managed worse.”

Amadeus shrugged, taking his place behind Hyperion and next to Gregory. “A life for a thousand. A House for an Empire,” he said, looking at his husband with deep affection. “And all I had for the love of my life.”


End file.
